Open Internet International Workshop

March 18, 2011, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

Room TW-C305, 445 12th Street S.W., Washington, D.C.

The Federal Communications Commission held a workshop on its Open Internet decision for foreign regulators and government officials. As background, the FCC adopted three basic rules -- grounded in broadly accepted Internet norms, as well as prior FCC decisions -- to preserve the openness of the Internet.

Transparency -- Fixed and mobile broadband providers must disclose the network management practices, performance characteristics, and terms and conditions of their broadband services;

No blocking -- Fixed broadband providers may not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; mobile broadband providers may not block lawful websites, or block applications that compete with their voice or video telephony services; and

In recognition that an open, robust, and well-functioning Internet requires that broadband providers have the flexibility to manage their networks -- including but not limited to efforts to block spam and ensure that heavy users do not crowd out other users -- the FCC's "no blocking" and "no discrimination" rules are subject to reasonable network management.